Feds Want $100M in Baltimore Bridge Collapse

If you were wondering how Uncle Sam feels about the events that led up to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, wonder no more: "outrageous, grossly negligent, willful, wanton, and reckless." That's per a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Justice Department against the owner and the operator of the Dali, the ship that struck the bridge in March, reports the New York Times. The feds are seeking more than $100 million in damages tied to their cleanup costs for what the suit claims was a "tragedy" that was "entirely avoidable" and the aid given to workers who were idled during the shutdown of the Port of Baltimore.

The DOJ is also seeking punitive damages "to keep this type of conduct from ever happening again," says Justice's deputy associate attorney general Benjamin Mizer. "Those costs should be borne by the shipowner and operator, not the American taxpayer," Mizer continues. As for the specifics of that conduct, the DOJ alleges "jury-rigged" maintenance to the Dali's critical issues left it in such a shape that "none of the four means available to help control the Dali—her propeller, rudder, anchor, or bow thruster—worked when they were needed to avert or even mitigate this disaster."

As the AP reports, the suit names Singapore-based Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and operator Synergy Marine Group. The companies had previously filed a court petition seeking to limit their legal liability for the collapse to $44 million. The feds aren't the only ones suing, per the AP: On Tuesday, the families of the six men killed in the collapse declared they would file a claim to hold the ship's owner and manager liable. City officials and local businesses have also filed negligence claims. (More Francis Scott Key Bridge stories.)